Name_______________
Penny Lab
In this lab you will try to fit as many drops of a liquid on a penny.
1. State the Problem in the form of a question
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2. State your Hypothesis
I think…
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3. Perform the experiment
Materials:
1 penny
Paper towel
Beaker of water (H2O)
2 Droppers
Beaker of Salt (NaCl) water
Petri Dish
Beaker of Sugar (C6H12O6) water
Beaker of Baking soda (NaHCO3) water
Part A: Perform a test with the beaker of water (H2O)
1. Rinse a penny in tap water and dry completely
2. Place the penny in the center of the Petri dish
3. Use the dropper to place drops of WATER on the penny (one at a time) until ANY amount
of water runs over the edge of the penny
4. Record the number of drops for that trial in the table below.
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Average
5. Repeat steps 1-4 three more times
6. Average your results by adding up all the trials and dividing by 5
Part B: Perform the tests with the Salt Water
1. Rinse a penny in tap water and dry completely
2. Place the penny in the center of the Petri dish
3. Use the dropper to place drops of the SALT WATER on the penny (one at a time) until
ANY amount of water runs over the edge of the penny
4. Record the number of drops for that trial in the table below.
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Average
5. Repeat steps 1-4 three more times
6. Average your results by adding up all the trials and dividing by 5
Part C: Perform the tests with the Sugar Water
1. Rinse a penny in tap water and dry completely
2. Place the penny in the center of the Petri dish
3. Use the dropper to place drops of the SUGAR WATER on the penny (one at a time) until
ANY amount of water runs over the edge of the penny
4. Record the number of drops for that trial in the table below.
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Average
5. Repeat steps 1-4 three more times
6. Average your results by adding up all the trials and dividing by 5
4. Parts of the experiment:
A. What was the control in the experiment? ___________________________________________
B. What was the independent variable in the experiment? ________________________________
C. What was the dependent variable in the experiment? __________________________________
D. List 2 constants in the experiment. ________________________________________________
5. Analysis:
Graph your results using a double-bar graph for Trials #1 - 5. Use a RED colored pencil for the
water trials and a GREEN colored pencil for the salt water trials. Label the x-axis - # of trials : yaxis – drops of liquid. Don’t forget to title your graph!
6. Conclusion:
What is your conclusion for this experiment? Remember that this should relate to your hypothesis
and answer the problem question!
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